MLB News

Oct. 6 Tommy Milone pregame interview

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by A's second game starting pitcher Tommy Milone. Questions.

Q. We always ask you about your home road splits. You've actually pitched very well here in Detroit just about two weeks ago. How much do you take out of that start, and how do you use it to your advantage?

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by A's second game starting pitcher Tommy Milone. Questions.

Q. We always ask you about your home road splits. You've actually pitched very well here in Detroit just about two weeks ago. How much do you take out of that start, and how do you use it to your advantage?

TOMMY MILONE: Even early on in the season my road and home splits really haven't been that good. You kind of just forget about it and go out there and continue to pitch and attack the zone, just become the pitcher you are, don't try to do too much, no matter if you are on the road at home.

That's what I'll do. I'll go out there and continue to pitch the way I've pitched all season, and hopefully in the end it ends up with a W.

Q. Do you expect your heart to be pumping a little bit more tomorrow? Do you want it to be that way? Do you want to be more fired up, or do you think you'll be able to treat it like any other game, or is that how you want to approach it?

TOMMY MILONE: For me, I'd rather just treat it as any other game. I'm pretty sure that my heart's going to be going.

But just try to keep your composure, keep your poise. Go out there, kind of slow the game down. Just throw strikes and throw quality pitches. That's the plan tomorrow.

Q. From that last start here, is there anything in particular that you take out of that or anything that jumps out at you from that start you made here a couple of weeks ago?

TOMMY MILONE: You know, I just know that they're really aggressive. They're going to swing the bat. So you just gotta make good pitches. I feel like last time we were here I gave up a lot of hits, leaving balls up in the zone, they were able to put them in play and they were getting hits off of them.

So just make good pitches, keep them low, have them hit the ball on the ground and give our defense a chance to make plays.

Q. How surprised are you to be in this position as a division winner as opposed to being a wildcard team, which seemed to be the expectation all along?

TOMMY MILONE: You know what, we're not surprised at all as a team. This is what we work for the whole year. We've played really good baseball. We go out there, we grind it out until the last out. You know, it took a little bit of help from Texas to start going downhill the last couple of weeks.

And we're not really surprised. We're happy that we got this opportunity to be in this spot, and we were kind of just running with it.

Q. You personally do you think back on how far you've come in a year?

TOMMY MILONE: Yeah, it's hard not to, especially being towards the end of the year, you kind of look back at the beginning of the season and the kind of goals you set for yourself.

It's been a long feels like it's been a long season, but at the same time it feels like it's flown by. So it's hard not to look back. But at the same time you gotta kind of push that stuff aside and go out and take care of business from here on out.

Q. You guys have obviously only been here a couple of nights. Your start tomorrow night is at noon and the game is on at 9:00 a.m. on the West Coast. How do you think you'll feel physically? Does it feel like it's a little bit of an earlier start since it's a noon rather than a 1:00?

TOMMY MILONE: Yeah, I think an hour does help a lot. But, regardless, I think the postseason doesn't really matter; you're going to be fired up for any game whatever time it's at. So just think to yourself, just go out there. It's any other game no matter what time it's at. Just go out there and pitch your game and take it from there.

Q. How do you adjust to the cooler temperatures here compared to the weather you're used to pitching in most of the time?

TOMMY MILONE: I don't really know how to answer that. I guess just wear sleeves. Try to stay as warm as possible. In between innings, throw a jacket on, try to stay warm. Keep moving around. Try not stay in one spot.

Just move around, I think that's the easiest way to kind of keep your body warm.

Q. How proud are you of what you and Jarrod have accomplished this season together as rookies in the rotation, tied for the Oakland rookie record in wins, knowing you had the challenge with the starting rotation this year?

TOMMY MILONE: I'm extremely proud of both of us. We've had some bumps and bruises along the way, but here in the end we've come out I think stronger for it.

I feel like he's put on a heavy workload himself. He's kind of our unspoken ace right now after losing McCarthy and Bartolo, and we just want to go out there and we want to help the team. And win as many games as possible. And I think that's what our plan is going to be for these next two.

Q. Have you talked to any of your old friends from Washington about what they're going through, because they're kind of in the same track you are right now?

TOMMY MILONE: You know what, I haven't talked to them in depth about it. It's more like congratulating them for winning their division and that was basically it.

Q. The question is about the idea that you guys are rookies. At the end of a full season, and particularly one where you guys accomplished as much as you did with the way you played at the end, are you guys still rookies? Is it still really looking at you guys as inexperienced going into this?

TOMMY MILONE: I don't think so. Especially I would say for me and Jarrod. We've been around for a little bit longer now. And I feel we've pitched in enough big situational games that mean enough, and I don't think anything's going to surprise us now.

Obviously, he's pitched in the postseason before, and I haven't. But as long as we just keep the same mindset, it's just another game. I'm sure the atmosphere is going to be crazy. But you just gotta kind of set that stuff aside, kind of keep your composure, keep poise out there and it's really the same game.